Bright and early at 7am on 19 January 2019, Australia Museum Members and staff boarded our mini bus. Pat, our knowledgeable bus driver, informed the group that the first stop would be in the historic town of Berrima. Upon arriving in Berrima, he gave us a short tour of the town. We saw the court house, built in 1838 and designed by colonial architect Mortimer Lewis, which was used during World War II when German POW’s were housed there. We went on to see the historic jail that was the final resting place for Australia’s first serial killer John Lynch, who was hung there in 1842. The jail is still used to house female minimum security inmates. After some morning tea in the local park, we continued to Canberra.

When we arrived in Canberra we stopped for lunch at a cafe, and enjoyed sandwich platters and a glass of wine (or two) before heading to our final destination of the National Museum of Australia.

Once at the museum, the group spent three hours exploring Rome: City and Empire, an exhibition showcasing 200 beautiful objects and stories of everyday life, worship, war, glory and death in ancient Rome. We also enjoyed wandering the museum grounds.

On bus home, there was lots of chatter and animated discussion about the exhibition and the Museum in general. We had a quick stop in Marulan before arriving back to the AM at 7pm.

Australian Museum Members gain access to special events, exhibition previews, cafe and store discounts and unlimited entry. Discover more about Membership here.